Zulu Essay

Zulu Essay
When thinking about the Anglo Zulu wars that occurred in the late 1970’s the battle of Rorke’s Drift stands out the most. The battle had an outcome that no one could have ever imagined, one hundred and fifty British troops defended their mission station against three thousand Zulus. The battle began after the Zulus defeated the British at Battle of Isandlwana, on January 22 1879 and continued until the 23rd of January. As the British are told of the oncoming Zulu attack they prepare themselves with the only equipment they have. They are forced to use wagons and bags of corn as the barriers while they equipped the injured and sick with weapons. A surviving Dutchman knows the Zulu’s tactic, know as the bull and horns. He advises the troops on the best way to protect themselves and to always be alert. As the British are frantically trying to prepare themselves, the Zulus begin to make their first move. They create a sound that is similar to a marching or train noise while continuing to remain unseen. After their marching, they make themselves visible and engulf the entire British territory up on the surrounding hill. The Zulu soldiers in the body advance through the tall grass and sneak up to attack the British. They charge and challenge the British while getting shoot at. This tactic is used to see the fighting style of the Zulu’s opponent so they can find a way to overcome them later. After hiding in the brush the Zulus make themselves visible again only to retreat when the troops open fire on them. They retreat and the horns travel around to the backside of the supply depot to begin their second attack. While the British are distracted the Zulus make themselves seen by firing weapons they received from their previous battle from the hillside. The two fire at each other for a while until the Zulus begin to advance. The British shoot and stab while the Zulus charge at them with their sharp handheld swords and attack. The Zulus infiltrate the